Your home heating winter checklist
With this winter set to bring many people their highest heating bills ever, we outline six steps to save you money and avoid problems in the depths of winter.
Do you want to avoid unnecessary costs and troublesome heating failures this winter? Then get ahead of the game with these six tips.
1. Test your heating early
If there are any problems, it’s best to discover and fix them before you really need your heating. To test your system, turn your thermostat up to the max and put all your radiators on full, then fire up your central heating and keep it running until all the radiators are piping hot. If the boiler is running smoothly and the radiators are heating up fully, you’re probably all set for the winter.
2. Check your boiler pressure
If your radiators don’t get piping hot, it could be because your boiler pressure is too low. Let the system cool and check the pressure gauge on your boiler. The ideal pressure is between 1 and 1.50. If yours is low, check your boiler manual to find out how to adjust it. Or open the tap on your filling loop until correct pressure achieved, then turn off. If it’s too high, seek advice, because high pressure can cause your boiler to fail. It may simply be that your system has too much water in it – in which case the problem can be rectified by bleeding your radiators, but it could also be caused by faulty parts so it’s important to get an expert to check.
3. Bleed your radiators
If your radiators only heat up part of the way and stay cold at the top, it’s likely that they contain air pockets. The solution is to bleed them. This involves opening the bleed screw on each radiator to let the trapped air out – but be warned: you must make sure your heating is off and your radiator is cold before you do this, otherwise you risk scalding yourself. To bleed a radiator, get a radiator key and undo the bleed screw until you hear the air hissing out. Turn it off as soon as water starts to flow from the hole.
4. Check your condensate pipe
Your condensate pipe removes acidic wastewater from your boiler by carrying it into the sewer. Sections of this pipe that run outdoors or through areas with no heating can freeze in cold weather, causing your boiler to shut down. Most boilers display an error code to tell you what has happened, so if yours suddenly shuts down while displaying a code, look up the meaning of the code in your boiler manual. To prevent problems with your condensate pipe freezing, check that any vulnerable sections are insulated. If your condensate pipe has frozen, you can thaw it with hot water or a hot water bottle, but aware that it can take some time.
5. Insulate your home
With energy bills soaring, it’s more important than ever to insulate your home. Types of insulation include cavity wall insulation, solid wall insulation, roof and loft insulation, insulation of tanks pipes and radiators, and draught proofing any gaps around windows and doors. Spending a bit of time and money making your home warm can make all the difference to your heating bill.
6. Get your boiler serviced
The surest way to make sure your home is ready for the cold weather is to get your boiler serviced. Get in touch with us today to arrange a full check and service.